Gone to Maui

Dave Jenkinson is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and the author of the “Portraits” section of Emergency Librarian.

Like Stacey’s previous two young-adult novels, Gone to Maui centres on
the dynamics of family life; however, it lacks the energy and pace found
in the earlier books. In establishing her new business, “Tours for
Seniors,” Becky Shea’s mother has upset the comfortable domestic
routine of her husband and two sons. When Mrs. Shea and 16-year-old
Becky take a group of seniors on a tour of Hawaii’s Maui, Becky meets
an 18-year-old Japanese-American, and a romance gradually develops
between them.

This novel gives emphasis to the similarities between seniors and teens
by showing, for example, how both groups dislike being the focus of
generalizations that deny their individuality. The book’s weakness
resides in a limited plot that is bogged down by discussions about
parenting and growing up. Recommended with reservations.